A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-8

Cars started to leave one by one and there stood three people, still indecisive about who would sit where.

"I won't sit with her," Grandpa blazoned. 

"Neither would I," Manik stated at other end. 

Nandini stood perpendicular to them listening their ever so lasting spat with almost same one liner.

"Why don't you guys toss?" she said offering a coin.

"SHUT UP," Both yelled unanimously.

Nandini pouted a little listening such ironical agreement of them of yelling at her.

"I was a BRIGADIER," Daadu bragged trying to flaunt his superiority. 

"Exactly, You WERE a Brigadier," Manik stated in same tone. 

"You cannot disobey me, You Certain Malhotra!" Daadu warned.

"What? Would you stop calling me that?" Manik said all flustered, "Who told this old man that my name is blah..Certain Malhotra."

Nandini chuckled a bit and then pressed her lips to suppress her laughter. 

"I am not sitting next to her when she is driving this death vehicle," Daadu was back at discussion.

"And I am not sitting next to her when I know she is sitting next to me," Manik argued.

Nandini and Daadu curled their brows trying to depict what he had said. 

"I am allergic to hilly rides," Daadu contended.

"I am allergic to her," Manik retorted.

"I feel nausea looking at those giant mountains," Daadu bickered.

"My BP increases whenever I am around her," Manik wrangled. 

"My heartbeat rises with kind of driving she does," Daadu spatted.

"My heartbeats too rise...when I...." Manik blurted and then stopped.

Nandini and her Daadu exclaimed at his almost shocking confession. Manik bit his tongue and rectified, "I didn't mean what you thought."

"I am a heart patient," Daadu hit the ball out of park and this time, Manik couldn't come up with any wit. 

"You both are drama queens," Nandini rolled her eyes and walked to driving seat.

Manik followed her giving deadly glare to Daadu and sat beside Nandini. Daadu smirked at his victory and said, "This should be fun." He settled at back seat and their journey finally started.

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"Where are kids?" Colonel looked back from back shield.

"You know...Nandini is driving so don't worry they will just be catching up," Madhav quipped. 

Colonel nodded still looking a little worried when a car passed them in speed.

"There...they are," Madhav pointed.

Manik had checked his seat belt for 10th time since the time she had started driving. He looked back at grandpa who looked relaxed wearing his sleep mask.

"Where am I stuck?" He murmured.  

"That's why old man was so hell bent for grabbing the back seat," he mumbled further.

"Hey, Don't call him that," Nandini spoke.

"You heard that?" He asked almost shocked.

"You always think aloud, Manik," She explained.

Nandini took a shard turn and he saved his stance with great difficulty. 

"Can't you drive carefully?" He yelled at her. 

"See, this is slowest I can drive," She said and threw her hand in air. 

"Don't take your hands away from steering like that," Manik shouted in panic and held the steering.

"Don't worry, Cadet. My truck knows me," She said with a confident wide grin.

"Yeah, why not!" He quipped and looked away. 

Well, she kept quiet as not expected and Manik tried to calm his unsettled mind. 

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It had been an hour she was driving recklessly and now it wasn't easy for other two to wear mask of indifference. Her Grandpa was scared as they headed towards narrow roads and dangerous heights. 

"Nandini, I was thinking I should shift to BMW as my neck is paining," Daadu made an excused. 

Manik looked at him with a 'How can you lie so much' look. Daadu glared him back. Manik gave him another 'We were supposed to pass through this together' look. 

Strangely, those two had gelled up in past 30 minutes like anything. They said it right about adversity brings loggerheads together. Who could believe who were fighting like cats and dogs back at starting were consoling each other in this hour of scare. Nandini's driving had sent chills through their army bones and they couldn't even express owing to their big fat army egos.

"Daadu, stop making excuses," Nandini replied.

Manik smirked and relaxed.

"Besides, I am not going to wait for an hour for others to catch up," She complained like a kid.

Daadu sighed in defeat and Manik passed him a 'You deserved it' look.

"And you two, such eyes talks?! I swear even lovers would shy away," She commented making them both gasping in embarrassment. 

"We weren't doing any eye talk," Manik made up, " besides we aren't afraid of you. We can talk if we wish to."

"Exactly," Daadu supported him. 

"MEN," she exclaimed. 

Silence graced them for fine two minutes and sound of car piercing through wind echoed in deep valleys.

"Nandini, Can you please pull over?" Daadu requested.

Manik looked back at him and Daadu signaled with his pinky finger.

"Yeah please, Can you stop by?" Manik too added and looked back with 'I got you' smile.

"What you two wanna do in this dark dense forest by stopping by? This isn't a place to do site seeing," She stated.

"We just wanna have some fresh air," Manik said with a utterly sweet smile.

Nandini looked at him and smiled. She shook her head totally understanding his fake play.

"Okay! Step out and be back in 2," She agreed and pulled over. 

They both ran out of car with an urgency. Her Grandpa walked to bushes whereas Manik exhaled some deep breaths to soothe his lungs. Then he too disappeared in bushes to answer the nature's call.

"Men," she mumbled under her breath and chuckled.

Both returned back stretching their limbs and settled back in car. 

"Now don't touch my car without sanitizing your hands," She stated and handed them hand sanitizer. They looked at her with 'How did she know' faces and she pulled the gear. 

Weather was super pleasant as they headed towards gorgeous valleys and Sun was going down to sink in deep valleys. Well, they still had a long way to go.